


Discovery

by AgentKeen



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Chaptered, Daft Punk- Discovery, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Music, LadyNoir - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Miraculous Ladybug Spoilers, My First AO3 Post, References to Daft Punk, Sidekick Adrien Agreste, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 08:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14375349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentKeen/pseuds/AgentKeen
Summary: Marinette's life has been going pretty well. Her talent is starting to get recognized at work, she's made a new (really cute) friend, and now she's going to go enjoy a big celebration. Unfortunately, someone else has big plans for Paris.This is an AU story inspired by listening to Discovery by Daft Punk late at night, and with an extra helping of inspiration from the Sidekick!Adrien AU. Each chapter roughly corresponds to a track from the album.





	1. One More Time

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first attempt at fanfic, and of course I decide on a multi-chapter fic inspired by an album. Because that's very me.
> 
> Feel free to offer a little advice. I'm getting a little help from a friend that lives in France on some of the cultural stuff, but also kinda following with the conventions in the show when it makes sense. And the tags are mostly based on the currently finished chapter(s), so they'll probably update as things go.
> 
> Oh, and feel like I should mention @PrincessKitty1 for the Sidekick!Adrien inspiration. (I have no idea if there's a way to tag other creators ha hah....)

If anyone had noticed the first akuma, they might wonder at the unusual coloration, or why a butterfly would be flying with such purpose, as if being guided to its target. But no one noticed the first as it settled on Fred Haprèle’s hat while he leaned against the alley wall. No one saw it disappear into the fabric as tears streaked through the mime’s white make-up. No one else saw the purple outline around his eyes that would soon become too common a sight.

No one saw the beginning.

 

* * *

 

Marinette stretched her arms into the air, trying to work out the last remaining kinks of the long day as she made her way down the street. She was half tempted to change course and just head back to her apartment, crawl into bed, and sleep for a few days straight. But she would never bail on her friends like that.

Glancing at the time on her phone, she picked up her pace, not wanting to miss too much of the celebration before the fireworks started.

She couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy at Alya and Nino getting the day off for the holiday. The plan had been for them to get to spend the day together for the first time in a long time, baking sweets before gorging themselves, playing video games, watching movies… anything they wanted. Instead, she’d gotten called in for some emergency touch-ups that managed to take the whole day.

She loved her job at _Gabriel_ , she could never deny that. It was the chance of her lifetime even if she had to start at the bottom. But planning last minute retakes for 14 Juillet seemed like a ridiculous plan. And of course, someone on the bottom rung gets the honor of getting called in.

 _Well, that and you were asked for by name since you’ve been picked out as the best of the newbies_ , she thought with a small swell of pride. _And you weren’t exactly complaining about getting to see Adrien…_

Marinette’s heart clenched as her musings turned to the model. She’d first met him not long after starting her job due to a slight misunderstanding. She’d thought he was just the usual stuck-up rich kid with an extra dose of stuck-upiness due to being ~~too hot~~ a well-known model. She hadn’t expected him to be so kind, so apologetic for something that wasn’t even really his fault. How could she not fall for the sweetest boy she’d ever met?

If they’d met when she were younger, she might’ve ended up tongue-tied whenever she was around him. Even now, she still couldn’t stop her cheeks from flushing or the happy little wiggle when he complimented her work. It didn’t take long for him to start requesting her whenever they needed someone on standby at his shoots, with the added bonus of getting to hang out with him during breaks. Still, he was the boss’s son and she was pretty sure he didn’t see her as anything more than a friend, so she’d just have to keep her fantasies in check.

“Marinette! Get your butt over here, girl!”

She blinked as she realized she’d made it to where she was meeting Alya and Nino while lost in her thoughts. She looked around and spotted Alya waving at her, a big grin spreading across her face as she ran up to her friends. It wasn’t until she got closer she caught the unexpected flash of golden hair and bright green eyes.

 

* * *

 

The second akuma didn’t receive any more attention than the first. It soared through quiet streets, settling for the briefest of moments on an open window’s sill. Soon it was floating inside, unperturbed by Ivan Bruel’s sobs or the swinging of his fists as his emotions raged. It settled on the ball of paper in the large man’s hand as if it was the most natural thing for a butterfly to do.

_“Greetings, Stoneheart, I am Hawkmoth…”_

 

* * *

 

Adrien couldn’t stop smiling. Today had been a long, unexpected work day, but that was behind him. Not to mention, he’d gotten to see his friend, Marinette, which always made the shoots more bearable. But the day got really good when he got a call from Nino.

Adrien had met Nino not long after meeting Marinette. He’d been wasting away with boredom at some party or another, the kind of publicity opportunity his father made him go to all the time. Then he’d bumped into one of the few people that seemed to be as bored as he was. It turned out that Nino had been hired as the DJ for the party only for ‘some dick’ (Adrien had a good guess who) to steamroll any of his input, effectively making his presence superfluous. Adrien was glad to find someone as unwilling to be here as he was to commiserate with, but it wasn’t until they figured out that they both knew Marinette that things really clicked. Ever since, Adrien had secretly considered Marinette his lucky charm, his first real friend that led him to his best friend.

Now Nino had invited Adrien out to enjoy the fireworks and hang out. If Adrien were being honest… he was way more excited about getting to hang out. His father’s tendency to get his way had meant Adrien had missed out on doing normal things like that. Plus, he’d get to properly meet Nino’s girlfriend and get to spend more time with Marinette.

_And all it took was breaking out of my own home so I didn’t have to go to the same stuffy party I have to show up at every year. Worth it._

He felt a bit guilty letting his father down like that, but he really wanted this and it wasn’t often that he did things he truly wanted.

The soft alert from his phone caught his attention and he found he had a text from Nino letting him know where to meet up. He hurried over and had only just been introduced to Alya when she started calling out to someone behind him. He turned to meet Marinette’s eyes and offer an easy wave.

“Hey.”

 

* * *

 

The assumption that Stormy Weather was Hawkmoth’s first victim was an easy one to make. No one had noticed the first two akuma settling on their prey, but Aurore Beauréal had an audience. She was the only one that didn’t notice the akuma descend onto her signature umbrella as she jabbed it at her producer.

 

She was also the only one that heard his voice in her head, promising her the world if she’d just give in. It would be easy, like everything should be for someone of her talent. After all, making people run in terror isn’t hard when you make the weather.

 

* * *

 

Marinette blinked a few times before managing to wave back at Adrien like a normal person. _Cause you are a normal person! And it’s totally normal for Adrien to be here, with your other friends. This is normal._

She mentally chastised herself as she walked over to Alya for a quick hug and got one of Nino’s signature fistbumps. She could do normal, no reason for her to not be normal. “I-I didn’t know you were coming, too, Adrien! You never said anything about it earlier.”

Adrien rubbed at the back of his neck, a nervous gesture she had never seen him do in front of so many other people. “Ah, well, Nino asked earlier, but I kinda wanted to surprise you. Plus, I’m… not really supposed to be here. Couldn’t risk someone overhearing my plan, yeah?” He offered her a sheepish grin, though there was the faintest twinkle of mischief in those green eyes.

Marinette returned his smile, but was thankfully saved from trying to form coherent thoughts by Alya taking control of the conversation. “Well, come on, you two were running so late getting here, we thought we were gonna miss everything.” Alya grabbed Nino’s hand and started leading him off, closer to the festivities, and tossing a quick wink at Marinette as she was left following with Adrien next to her.

_Oh, I should’ve known…_

The group of four friends made their way slowly through the crowd, chatting and laughing about nothing and everything. It didn’t take long for Marinette to get back into that same comfortable groove from her shared breaks with Adrien. Sure, her heart would still skip a beat when they would end up pressed together as they squeezed past other groups, or she would feel a slight thrill run up her spine when he offered to buy her a cool drink from one of the stands along the streets. The actual celebration was mostly forgotten as she just enjoyed getting to spend more time with Adrien.

They finally settled on a good spot for watching the fireworks. Nino wrapped his arms tight around Alya who retaliated with a kiss that made Marinette and Adrien blush.  Adrien nodded to the side and the pair moved a little further away to give the couple some privacy. Marinette glanced up at Adrien, who looked back with that same sweet smile that always made her breath catch. Her eyes darted down, catching sight of his hand, so close to hers. _All I’d have to do is just reach out and-_

**KRAKOW**

She whipped her head up, looking to the same spot as the rest of the crowd. Lightning had struck the tip of the Eiffel Tower with an almighty sound, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  The whole of Paris seemed transfixed, the trance only broken when the screams started.

 

* * *

 

The man turned away from the elegant window and stepped towards the wall of monitors. Each was tuned into a different station or even to some more questionably received transmissions, but all of them showed the same thing: chaos.

He spared a small grin before running his hands down the front of his dark coat even though he knew it never wrinkled. This is what he needed and, if he was being honest, he really was enjoying the knowledge that he was the cause of this. He opened to a small locket, lying open on a nearby table. “No, I’m doing this for her, don’t forget that.”

He turned back towards the large, solitary window, swinging the elegant cane in his hand. He brought the cane down, slamming the tip against the floor with a decisive sound and his gloves creaking in protest as he clenched his fists. He stared out into the night, the faint sounds of his handiwork seeping in through the open center of the butterfly design, and his lips started to curl into a smirk

“Still, there’s no reason I can’t enjoy playing the part.”

 


	2. Aerodynamic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The akuma attack throws Paris into chaos and Marinette receives a pair of mysterious earrings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how do fight scenes even

Marinette still wasn’t sure what she had just seen. So much had happened at once and none of it seemed possible. After that first lightning strike, explosions seemed to erupt from closer to the ground, creating giant plumes of dust in the air. People started running but she stood transfixed, looking up as another flash of lightning erupted through the sky. Purple lightning.

There was a figure floating in the air and illuminated by the lightning. The dust hanging in the air had obscured it at first, but gusts of wind suddenly blew it back, clearing the view. It looked like a woman in a purple dress, with garishly done hair and… an umbrella? Another bolt of lightning erupted from the umbrella’s tip, destroying a line of streetlamps.

She felt a sudden tug at her hand and looked to her right to see Adrien staring at the flying woman while taking hold of her hand. “We have to get out of here… now,” he murmured before looking down at Marinette.

Marinette nodded and let him guide her away. She turned to cast one more glance back at the destruction the mysterious person was causing just as sounds of destruction erupted from other directions and sent more dust into the air. _She’s not alone, not the only one attacking,_ Marinette realized.

“Wait, what about Alya and Nino?” she yelled over the sounds of the crowd, glancing around to try and spot her other friends. “We can’t just leave them here!”

Adrien stopped and hesitated, joining her in looking for the couple, but they were caught up in the wave of people trying to escape. “I’m sorry, Mari, it’s too dangerous right now. We’ll try to call them as soon as we’re someplace safe, okay?” He gave her hand a quick squeeze before pulling her along again.

Marinette bit her lip, tempted to argue even though she knew Adrien was probably right. Instead she followed, listening to the chaotic sounds coming from behind them.

The pair soon made it to a mostly empty street, taking a moment to lean against a wall and catch their breath. Marinette could still hear the destruction going on, but now the sounds of sirens were intermingled. “Do you think they’ll be able to stop… whatever that was?” she wondered aloud.

 Adrien didn’t answer at first as he stared back towards the Eiffel Tower. Plumes of smoke were curling up into the sky, but the flying figure seemed to be gone, or at least couldn’t be seen from this far away. “I don’t know….”

Marinette frowned, tugging her cell phone out of her pocket. She let out a relieved sigh as she saw a text from Alya, letting her know both her and Nino had gotten away. She sent back a response to let them know she and Adrien were safe and then started trying to find some news about what was going on. She didn’t get the chance before a wall on a nearby building suddenly collapsed, causing her to jump.

Adrien started to pull her along again when she heard a soft grunt of pain. She could just make out the dark shadow of a hunched figure halfway between her and the collapsed wall.

She didn’t hesitate as she started to run towards them.

* * *

 

 Adrien turned as he felt Marinette’s hand pull away from his, watching as she ran back towards the building that had just been demolished. “Marinette! What are you doing?! We have to keep going!”

“There’s someone over here! They need help!” she called back without slowing down.

Adrien only hesitated for a moment before following. He caught up just as she knelt down by the hunched over figure. The figure turned out to be a very short old man wearing a rather vibrant ( _and ugly_ , Adrien thought) shirt, with graying and thinning hair and a neatly kept goatee. He was also murmuring curses in Chinese that made Adrien blanch. _I bet Father wouldn’t be happy if he had known my tutors taught me that…_

“Sir, are you hurt? Can we help?” Marinette asked, offering an arm to help the man up. Adrien could’ve sworn he saw a smile pass over the man’s lips for the briefest of moments as he looked up at the two of them, but now he just wore a pained expression.

“Yes, please… I’m so sorry to trouble you, but these old bones don’t move like they used to….” Adrien moved around to take a hold of the elderly gentleman’s other arm and help Marinette get him to his feet. He glanced back down the street and could just make out what sounded like heavy footfalls heading away, leaving him thankful that whatever or whoever had brought that wall down hadn’t kept coming this way.

The old man held up a hand after they had helped him over to a nearby stoop. “I thank you for your assistance, but I just need to rest for a moment. I only live around the corner. Please, don’t trouble yourselves with me anymore.” He looked up at the pair with a kindly smile.

“Are you sure? Things seem rather dangerous out right now…” Marinette asked. Her face was full of concern, a look that reminded Adrien of how thoughtful his friend was. The man gave a simple nod, making it clear that he considered the matter settled and shooed them away. Adrien gave a bow, which Marinette mimicked, before guiding her back down the street.

“Alright, let’s get you home before you start trying to save everyone you meet.”

 

* * *

 

Fu smiled as he watched the pair go on their way, waiting until they were out of sight before stretching with a dull crack of his joints. He hadn’t been fibbing, his bones were old and didn’t move like they used to. Of course, that didn’t mean he was a fossil just yet.

“Master, you really should be more careful.” A small green creature zipped out of the pocket he had been hiding in, little antenna wiggling as if trying to sniff something out. “The akuma could’ve come this way and captured all of you before you could deliver the box.”

“Have a little more faith in me, Wayzz. I needed to check to be sure first, that’s all,” Fu chuckled. He caught Wayzz’s unconvinced gaze. “Oh, alright… I didn’t plan on tripping, but it was a good opportunity. Now, come, we must hurry. There is much to do.”

The old man and the floating green creature slipped into a dark cubby of the street. A brief flash of green lit up the darkness, and a masked and half-shelled figure was soon jumping across roofs into the night.

 

* * *

 

Marinette unlocked the door to her tiny apartment and walked inside with a sigh, tossing her keys onto a tray and kicking off her shoes. She glanced out the window before walking over to flip the television on to try and get a grip on what was happening. She sat down on the edge of her couch, wrapping her arms around herself.

She had tried to convince Adrien to come up, though he had insisted he needed to get back to his apartment before people worried, especially since he technically had snuck away from his father’s employees. Marinette was worried about him being back on the streets, doubly so since his place was closer to where all the excitement was… though she had to admit she also just wanted someone else here. There were other people in the building that she knew would be willing to help if things turned bad, but it just wasn’t the same. She glanced at her phone, wondering for a moment if she should ask Alya and Nino to come over, but she didn’t want them out walking right now, either.

Letting out another sigh, she tried to focus on the tv. From what she could gather, there were three… things out rampaging in Paris. All three seemed to be focused in the area around the Eiffel Tower, though no one seemed sure if that was due to the efforts of the police trying to set up barricades, or if it was by choice. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any fatalities, mostly just destruction of property and some relatively minor injuries. Everyone had been pretty lucky so far, it seemed.

“Raggghhhhh,” she groaned, reaching up to ruffle her shoulder-length hair, then pulling it into a pair of pigtails to tug on before letting it go. A small cloud of dust fell out of her hair, reminding her she probably needed a shower, but she still didn’t feel safe yet. She jumped up, going over to her small kitchen to make some tea in an attempt to distract her thoughts, at least for a minute.

That’s when she saw the box.

It was a simple octagon shaped jewelry box, though it was covered in intricate red script. It was beautiful, but if she were being honest, she’d probably seen jewelry boxes like it before. The problem was she’d never had one, and she definitely hadn’t left it on the kitchen counter.

She stared at the box, looking it over from every angle. No note. No name. Nothing. She nibbled at her lip for a moment before picking it up, carefully opening it and hoping it wasn’t a trap or somehow dangerous. She caught the briefest glance of a pair of ladybug patterned earrings with five black dots each when a red orb formed above them, causing her to drop the box.

The red orb shimmered, floating in the air. A more solid red shape coalesced inside of it and the orb popped, leaving behind a floating red figure with big blue eyes. “Hello, Marinette, it’s nice to finally meet you!” the red creature said in a cheery, high-pitched voice.

Marinette stared. She felt her mouth start to open, ready to let out a scream, but she clasped her hands over her mouth. Honestly, after the rest of her night, a floating red giant bug was the least of her worries, especially if it was going to be so polite. “Hi?” she squeaked out.

The red creature giggled and did a little twirl. “That’s a better reaction than I expected! I’m Tikki, and I’m sure you have a lot of questions, which I’ll answer as best I can, okay?”

 

* * *

 

“Okay, so… let me see if I have this straight. You’re something called a kwami, which is some supernatural creature representing an abstract concept- creation, in your case. You’re millions of years old, and you inhabit a pair of earrings associated with ladybugs and luck. I put the earrings on, and you let me use your powers. And this all has to do with those weird things that showed up today?”

Tikki gave a very patient nod, glancing back from watching the news reports with a friendly smile. “Oh, and I like sweets. Especially cookies. That’ll be important, too.”

“Riiight. And so if I put these earrings on, I’ll be stronger and faster and stuff, but also can make these things destroying Paris go away? And if I get in a bind, I can make some helpful random object appear, which I guess is where the whole creation thing comes in. And then everything goes back to how it was before.” Marinette huffed. She’d done her best to try to listen to Tikki’s answers, but it just seemed so out there.

Tikki eagerly nodded, seeming pleased that Marinette was catching on so quickly. “But they’re not things, Marinette. They’re called ‘akuma’.”

“And what are akuma?”

“Well, they’re…” Tikki hesitated, then glanced back at the tv. “See for yourself.”

Marinette turned to look at the tv, frowning. She’d been so busy trying to wrap her head around all this magic stuff, she hadn’t been paying attention to any new information on what was happening in the rest of Paris. Right now, they were showing what seemed to be footage caught before the attack started. But it was just one of the local weathergirls, the one that carried around an umbrella all the time, seeming to throw a tantrum about how she kept getting passed over for the good stories.

_Wait, an umbrella?_

A black and purple butterfly floated into view, almost seeming to be made of some dark miasma. It landed on the girl’s umbrella and suddenly disappeared as the umbrella took on that same dark coloration. A glowing purple symbol in the shape of a butterfly appeared over the girl’s face and she started to talk to herself. Weird purple liquid suddenly engulfed her for a moment, before-

“Wait, I saw her! She was the one that made that lightning and was flying through the air and… Those things are humans?!?” She turned to Tikki with wide, horrified eyes.

Tikki nodded slowly. “That butterfly and whomever it bestows its power on is what we call an akuma. It’s the power of the Butterfly Miraculous, which grants its user the ability to give special abilities to others for a while.”

“Wait, so there’s another kwami causing this?”

For the first time since meeting Tikki, the little creature seemed to get angry. “This is not Nooroo’s fault. He’s the kwami of generosity and would never try to hurt anyone, nor would any of the other kwami. No, there’s a human making him do this, making him create villains instead of heroes.”

Marinette blinked a few times and then nodded. “I’m sorry, Tikki. I didn’t mean to accuse your friend. That’s horrible that he’s being made to do this!” She reached out carefully with her hand, moving as if to pat Tikki on the head, which the red kwami accepted with a smile. “So with your power, I can free the people that these akuma have affected. I guess my last question is… why me?”

Tikki tilted her head to one side, seeming to consider the question. “Because you were chosen. Because you’ve been recognized as someone with a good and giving heart, someone that will be up to the task. It’ll be difficult, but I know you’re up to it, Marinette!” Tikki’s face drooped slightly. “Though, it would be easier if you had your partner…”

Marinette frowned. “Partner?”

“Yes. The Ladybug Miraculous has a partner… another half. The Black Cat. But it was taken, along with the butterfly. Without it, things will be a bit… harder.”

Marinette turned back to the tv as she and her new companion settled into thoughtful silence for the moment.

_“And we’ll be the first to let you know of any new- Wait, I’m just receiving something. We’ve just learned that there seem to be some hostages being kept in the epicenter of these monsters’ attack.”_

Marinette jumped up as Tikki let out a gasp. “We need to go, Marinette. It was okay to take the time to prepare you when the akuma seemed to be keeping to themselves, but we have to help those people.”

Marinette nodded, but something was nagging at the back of her mind. “One last thing, Tikki. You said… you said that all of the damage done by the akuma would be undone when I get rid of them. What about… if someone dies?”

For the first time, Tikki didn’t answer her question, and that told Marinette everything she needed to know.

“Okay, Tikki, spots on!”

 

* * *

 

Adrien felt incredibly guilty. He had made peace with the little bit of guilt he had for slipping away to meet friends. He was in his 20s, damn it, and he just wanted to hang out and have some fun. That shouldn’t be an issue.

Of course, then he had ended up in danger. He was still surprised he’d only missed a call or two from his father’s assistant, Nathalie, which only took a couple quick texts to smooth over. _Well, it’s not like Father calls me that often. Be nice if he was a bit worried, though._

He glanced around the corner, checking to make sure everything was safe. The real reason he felt guilty now, though, was he had told Marinette a little bit of a lie, which he knew would upset her. He really had planned on going straight back to his apartment. But then he had remembered he’d taken his motorcycle out since he wouldn’t have his driver and with the hope of maybe going for a quick ride after the fireworks. His father definitely didn’t approve of him owning and riding something so dangerous; why not double the rule-breaking if he was already sneaking out?

So now he was trying to quickly grab it and get it back home in one piece. He knew it probably wasn’t the smartest idea, but he was hoping to prevent any questions his father or Nathalie might have. He finally spotted it, breaking into a grin to see it was undamaged and right where he had left it. He ran up to it and stroked a hand along the side as if he were petting it. He unlatched the lock he used to keep his helmet from getting stolen and put it on. The helmet was simple black number with a dark visor except for the cat ears on top, something he had gotten as a gentle nod to his taste in anime and as just another little way to have the fun he was usually refused.

He started pushing it up the street, wanting to get a little bit further away before driving it in case it attracted too much attention. _That would be just my luck after all._

Large cracks suddenly snaked along the street, just in front of Adrien and his bike, making him stumble back. He whipped his head around to find the source and spotted a… mime? Adrien just stared for a minute, barely registering the sound of police sirens getting closer. The mime took a few steps closer, his hands seeming to grip an invisible bat or club. Adrien couldn’t move, staring at the mime, taking in his oddly muscular and almost inhuman physique, the faint tint of purple to his make-up, barely registering as the mime raised his arms and the pretend weapon over his head. _A mime? Seriously?_

The air was knocked out of him as he was suddenly lifted into the air, a strong but lithe arm across his stomach. He watched as the ground moved away, a large hole zigzagged with cracks where he had been standing. Apparently, the mime’s invisible weapon was more solid than it looked.

Adrien’s rescuer set down on a roof and released him, offering an arm to keep him steady even as they seemed to wobble on the landing. He took a step back, finally able to see his savior properly and his breath caught in his throat. A very attractive woman, probably about his age but a head shorter, stood in front of him. She didn’t seem to be oddly proportioned like the violent mime he’d just met, or have a weird hairdo like that flying woman earlier, but her clothes weren’t what he would call normal. Instead she wore a skin-tight red bodysuit, covered in black spots and made of a material he wasn’t familiar with, and a matching masquerade-style mask. A short black leather jacket hung open on her torso and she had on a pair of fairly practical black boots. To him, she looked like she had stepped straight out of a comic book.

“A-are you alright?” she asked, head tilting as she looked at him curiously, seemingly confused by his silence.

“Ah! Yes, thank you for saving me! W-who are you?”

She smiled and seemed satisfied that he wasn’t hurt. “I’m M- Erm… Call me Ladybug. Sorry, but I can’t stay for long, I have to go stop those akuma before they hurt anyone else.” She turned to go, brandishing what looked like a yo-yo. Of course, it had that same ladybug pattern on it.

“A-akuma? Is that what those… monsters are? How do you know so much about-“

She turned to look back at him again with wide eyes, standing on the edge of the roof. She glanced up somewhere just above his head and she smirked. “Well someone is a curious cat, aren’t they? Sorry, kitty, but I really do have to go.”

And with that, she jumped off the roof, tossing out the yo-yo. Adrien ran to the edge to watch in amazement. The yo-yo’s cord seemed to be able to extend forever and she used it to latch onto another building and swing off into the night.

“Whoa…”

 

* * *

 

Marinette glanced around as she flew through the air, trying to spot that mime that had attacked the man she just set down. She landed on top of another building and managed to stumble a little less. “Ugh, this is gonna be hard to get used to.”

She was getting close to the Eiffel Tower again. As far as she could tell from the little bit of information on the news, the hostages were being held down at the base of it. It sounded like the akuma had managed to corral them before scaring off everyone else, which hopefully meant no one else would get caught up in their fight.

“Ugh, what do they even want?” she complained as she tried to squint into the distance. Giving up, she tossed her yo-yo out again, giving it a little tug before leaping into the air. She hadn’t made it far when she heard a faint whistling and felt something heavy slam into her. She managed to hold onto the end of the yo-yo’s cord, but had to come in for a rough landing in the middle of a wide street.

She shook her head and tried to pick herself up when she heard the sounds of footsteps. She looked up and spotted the mime slowly coming closer. He suddenly stopped, that same mask she had seen on the weather girl appearing on his face for a moment. As soon as the mask disappeared, the mime pointed at his ears, then right at her.

“My earrings…? How do you know…?” She took a step back, frowning at the silent akuma.

_He wants the earrings? But why? How did he even know I’d have them? This doesn’t make any sense…_

Shaking her head, she pulled herself together and put on as confident a smirk as she could manage. “Sorry, but I think they’d end up clashing with all that purple. Tell you what, I’ll get you out of that make-up and then we’ll talk, ‘kay?” She tossed out the yo-yo and was pleasantly surprised to see it wrap around the mime, just like she had hoped it would. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard, after all.

Fortunately, she noticed the thudding footsteps coming up behind her just in time and jumped out of the way. She glanced back and caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a large man made out of stone, much larger than either of the other akuma and much less human looking. Unfortunately, that left her distracted long enough for the yo-yo line to go slack, letting the mime slip free.

She landed several yards away from the pair of akuma, glancing around to make sure the flying one wasn’t nearby, but it seemed she’d been left behind to guard the people they were holding. “Well, at least it’s only two-on-one, I was afraid you guys wouldn’t play fair. Now how about we do this the easy way and you just let me help you?”

The rocky akuma let out a roar and started barreling at her again. “I don’t need your help. Stoneheart doesn’t need anyone’s help!” Marinette blinked, slightly surprised that this one was more articulate than the mime. She dodged the stone akuma’s charge, but was knocked out of the air by an invisible force again.

She rolled across the ground, just managing to catch the mime winding up what seemed to be an invisible tennis serve. She made herself roll a bit farther, just barely moving out of the way as the pavement cracked. _Well, that explains what hit me before.... Ugh, I have to get out of here; I don’t think I can do this while I’m outnumbered like this._

Marinette tossed her yo-yo again, just managing to avoid another invisible projectile. She landed on top of a nearby building, looking back to see that Stoneheart was following her while the mime seemed to be hanging back. _He’s probably expecting me to try and get to the tower. Let’s see if I can use that to get them to split up._

She made sure to keep herself in view as she ran along the roof then jumped down to the street on the other side. Stoneheart’s heavy steps made it clear the akuma was still following her, and soon he came around the corner. She dodged his charge again, thankful that it seemed to be the only thing he could really do.

She landed, spinning around to try and inspect the akuma. According to Tikki, he should have some item on him that the butterfly was inside. She just needed to find it, break it, and purify the akuma. Only problem was that Stoneheart didn’t seem to have anything, not even clothes, leaving her with no way of knowing where the akuma could be.

She swung back up onto the next building, coaxing Stoneheart a little further away from the mime. A few more buildings away and she slid to a stop, chewing on her lip in thought. She’d managed to get the big bruiser far enough away, but she was pretty sure he’d just follow her back. What she needed was a distraction.

She glanced at the yo-yo in her hand, then shrugged and swung it straight into the air. “Lucky Charm!” Red energy seemed to swirl around the yo-yo for a moment before a large mannequin fell out of the air next to her. She quirked an eyebrow as she looked at it. It matched her suit!

The roof she was standing on suddenly shook and she ran to the edge to see Stoneheart trying to punch the wall, as if intent on bringing the whole building down to get to her. That gave her an idea…

She jumped across to another building, carrying the mannequin with her. She set it right near the edge of the building, sparing a glance to make sure the akuma had followed her and caught sight of her ‘double’, and then started to run back in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. She could hear the akuma start pounding against a new wall, trying to bring it and her down to the ground. _There, that should buy me a minute…._

She quickly went back the way she’d come and spotted the mime in the distance, roughly where he’d been before. _Okay, gotta do this fast, can’t risk getting into anything drawn out before that rock guy starts coming back._ She gave the akuma a once over as she swung towards him, her eyes drawn almost immediately to the signature hat. _Well, it might be kind of obvious, but worth a shot._

She almost missed the mime’s tell-tale wind-up, but dropped just in time to avoid an invisible baseball. Before he could recover, she tossed her yo-yo out and knocked the hat right off his head. The mime blinked, caught off-guard as he started looking for his hat while Marinette made a bee-line straight for where it had landed. She ran as fast as she could, ducking and sliding on her knees to avoid an invisible club swing. She grabbed the hat and ripped it apart. _Pleasepleaseplase…._

She let out a sigh as the evil looking butterfly floated out of the tattered remains. “Alright, you nasty butterfly, let’s purify you!” She spun the yo-yo in a tight circle and tossed it out to snag the butterfly, bringing it back to her and sliding her finger over the ladybug pattern. The yo-yo split in two, releasing a pure white butterfly that floated up into the air. She glanced over at the mime akuma, letting out another relieved sigh as purple miasma bubbled off of him to reveal a normal man.

“Okay, one down, two to go…” She gave a start as she heard a beeping sound coming from her earrings. “Oh, crud. I forgot about the time limit. I better go get the Lucky Charm so I can…” Her thought trailed off as a crumpled red and black mannequin slammed into the ground at her feet.

 

* * *

 

The man in the purple suit and dark mask slammed his fist against the desk in front of the wall of monitors and let out a snarl. “No! All that planning and waiting to make sure the Guardian’s chosen was outnumbered, wasted!” He leaned onto the desk, gripping the edge with both hands and hanging his head forward, his tight grips warping the metal edge before he let go.

The man straightened himself back to his full height, face emotionless as he peered at the screen. “It still drew out the Guardian and made him act. And he even sent out the Ladybug Miraculous on the first try. I still have two akuma in play. This will still work, and I will have her Miraculous!” His grip on his cane tightened and a smile played across his lips when the glowing purple mark of a butterfly appeared over his face.

“Stormy Weather, I believe it’s time you introduce Hawkmoth to Paris.”

 

* * *

 

Marinette glanced between Stoneheart in the distance and the Lucky Charm mannequin stuck into the ground at her feet. The akuma didn’t move, instead just standing and staring right back at her. She gulped.

_I need to think fast. I’ve got only minutes before I’ll be powerless, I have to reset things like Tikki told me, and I have to get those hostages away from the akuma before something bad happens. Easy… right?_

Her face turned determined as she made her decision and reached out to start tugging the mannequin out of the ground, and of course Stoneheart started to charge at her again. “Come on… come on…” she groaned, pulling with all her strength to get it free before she was turned into a pancake.

With one last tug, she managed to pull it free and stumbled out of Stoneheart’s path just in time. As the rocky akuma tried to slide to a halt, she flung the mannequin straight into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” The mannequin burst into a swarm of sparkling ladybugs that swirled through the city. She stared, open-mouthed, for a moment before remembering there was a stone monster trying to stomp her. Fortunately, he seemed to be just as distracted and she took the chance to make a break for where the hostages were reported to be.

She hadn’t made it far before she heard Stoneheart roar and start chasing her again. She didn’t stop and ran as fast as she could. Her earrings gave another beep of warning, but she kept running. _I can make it… I have to. I have to save those people!_

She could just make out the people being held under the Tower, huddled up in little groups. She had just noticed that there seemed to be news cameras set up and angled slightly into the air when a lightning strike hit the ground and blinded her. She shook her head, ears ringing from the thunder. She looked up as her sight finally cleared and saw the flying weather akuma.

“Don’t come any closer, fool!” The woman’s umbrella was pointed straight at Marinette, ready to strike again. “Our benefactor has a little message he wants to share with you and the rest of the city!”

That same butterfly mark that Marinette had seen on the akuma before appeared again, but this time the woman’s eyes glowed with the same purple light. The woman looked down at the cameras then straight at Marinette with a smirk. “Congratulations on managing to defeat the Mime, but I’m afraid your luck has run out.”

The voice startled Marinette, it was much deeper and decidedly more masculine than the weather akuma’s voice had been. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The smirk on the akuma’s face seemed to stretch wider. “You may call me Hawkmoth, and I think you already know what I desire. Now, I think you might be caught between a rock and a hard place….” Marinette heard Stoneheart come to stop not far behind, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the umbrella aimed right at her. “But I’m not really the villain you think I am. In fact, I’m prepared to be most generous.”

Marinette squinted at that choice of words, but her earrings gave another warning. “…So what’s your offer?”

“Simple: give me your Miraculous by your own choice, and no more akuma. It’s your choice, really, if more people are hurt. All it takes to stop is those earrings.”

Marinette’s fingers instinctively flew up to her ears, gently rubbing along the pair of earrings. This had to be a trick, right? He’d take the earrings and do something even worse? But she couldn’t see a way out of this. “What are you going to do with them?”

The akuma’s eyes narrowed for a moment before that smirk returned. “I will give you 24 hours to make your choice. If you don’t give up your earrings by then, well… I think you know what will happen.”

 Before Marinette could protest, she felt a large rocky hand wrap around her and lift her from the ground. She squirmed around, but the grip was too tight to escape. Stoneheart turned and threw her through the air. She felt a blast of air push her even further until she slammed through a wall and landed in a pile inside a building.

She sat up and coughed up dust as the final warning sounded and her transformation faded in a flash of pink. Tikki tumbled out of her earrings and landed in her lap with a soft groan. Marinette slowly picked herself up and stumbled to the hole she’d just been thrown through, but she couldn’t see the akuma anywhere.

She slowly slid down to her knees, tears starting to form in her eyes.

“Marinette?”

“I messed up, Tikki… I failed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up a lot longer than the first chapter, and was a bit trickier to figure out.
> 
> I tried to capture a little bit of the excitement of Aerodynamic, which is why this ended up a Ladybug vs. akuma heavy chapter. There's also a couple places where bells toll in the song, which is kinda represented by the sections of impending doom and plans.
> 
> This part also hits some of the same points that the first part of Origins does, but I wanted to give them a slight twist.
> 
> I made some small additions to Ladybug's costume, mostly because I think the one in the show is a bit... boring? So I added some black. I asked friends for opinions on it while I was writing this and was informed I'd basically made it very 90s Rogue from X-Men.
> 
> Adrien's cat ear helmet seemed like a must, but then I had to figure out why he'd have it without knowing about Chat Noir, so now it's a result of him wanting to express himself in ways he usually isn't allowed (which seems thematically appropriate for the Adrien/Chat Noir dynamic) and acts as a little nod to the fanon that Adrien's an anime nerd. (I actually haven't seen most of Durarara, but I figure that's where he got the idea).
> 
> I pretty much had this one done when I posted the first chapter, but I haven't started on Ch3 yet so I don't know when I'll have it up. Hopefully soon!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm mostly done with the second chapter, but I'll probably wait a day to post it. I think it's ending needs a little work anyhow (it was a lot trickier to write than this one).
> 
> The original idea actually started with Something About Us and the lovesquare, but then developed into a longer story that loosely follows the tone of the rest of the Discovery album. It's something of a nice coincidence that Daft Punk are from Paris, too.
> 
> While it's not a strong influence to the rest of the story, you can probably notice a little bit of Interstella 5555 leaking in to the start of this story.
> 
> The akuma sections are probably my favorite. I ended up settling on three because it made sense to me for Hawkmoth to start big. The Mime being the first is a big of a nod to the PV; Stoneheart is obviously here due to being the chronologically first one in the series. I debated about the third. Mr. Pigeon was also in the PV, but he didn't seem serious enough for the tone I was going for in the first chapter, so the honor went to Stormy Weather instead. (Yes, I'm using the English dub names, it's what I'm used to!)
> 
> This chapter might end up being one of the shorter ones if the next is any indication, so think of it as a prologue. The story will probably end up following Marinette the most as it goes along, but Adrien gets his chances to shine later.


End file.
